


His Miracle

by ericsonclan



Series: OG World [47]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Blood and Injury, F/M, Gen, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25881211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ericsonclan/pseuds/ericsonclan
Summary: After getting separated from Clementine and A.J. at the bridge, Louis tries to return to find them again, praying they're still alive.
Relationships: Clementine/Louis (Walking Dead: Done Running), Louis & Violet (Walking Dead: Done Running)
Series: OG World [47]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1815361
Kudos: 34





	His Miracle

**Author's Note:**

> (by Laura)

Louis felt like he was going to be sick. His legs were shaky underneath him as he made his way through the forest, hoping by the time he reached Ericson Clementine and A.J. would already be there. How could he be so stupid, jumping that fence and getting himself separated from them? Now Clementine was limping through the woods on an injured leg with a whole herd of walkers scattered throughout the forest. He couldn’t think about that right now. He had to focus on making it past the walkers and back to the school so that if Clementine wasn’t there he could turn right around, hopefully with help, and bring her and A.J. back.

It was a long, convoluted route home to the school. With James’ herd and the sound of the Delta ship’s explosion drawing even more walkers, the forest was infested on a level that Louis had never seen before. He had no weapons. Chairles and his dagger had been confiscated when the Delta forced him and A.J. into that cell. Both were now probably at the bottom of the river with the rest of the wreckage. With nothing to defend himself but a rock he’d picked up along the way, Louis skirted round most walkers, kicking out knees and bashing skulls only when absolutely necessary. The fleeting thought to cover himself in walker guts again appeared but was quickly dismissed. Even if he smelled like them, Louis was sure the walkers would notice one that they’d assumed to be their own sprinting through the woods.

After a long, arduous trek back, Louis reached the gates of Ericson. Willy was on guard duty, standing watch. He waved excitedly when he saw Louis. “Ruby, Aasim! Louis made it back!” He leapt down from his perch, opening the gate for Louis.

Aasim was immediately before him, his expression tense. “Louis, you made it! Where are the others: Clem, A.J., Tenn?”

Tenn. The name left a bitter taste of bile upon Louis’ tongue as he thought of the boy he’d seen torn to shreds before his very eyes. He couldn’t tell Aasim yet. If he thought on it too long, he might fall apart. He needed to be strong now. Louis shook his head. “I got separated from Clem and A.J. back at the bridge. They haven’t made it back yet?”

Aasim shook his head. “No, we haven’t seen them. Willy’s been on watch this whole time.

“Then I’m going back out there. I need a weapon. Are there any spare knives I can borrow?”

“Louis, it’s getting dark out. You won’t be able to see anything-”

“Then I’ll take a torch!” Louis snapped, his voice tight. “Clem’s hurt! She and A.J won’t make it out there alone! I have to go, so somebody give me a knife or something I can use to defend myself.  
I have to go!” Louis felt a hand tugging his arm. He looked over to see Willy holding up a hunting knife.

“Here. It was Mitch’s. He’d want you to use it,” Willy’s eyes were downcast, the emotion still thick in his voice.

Taking the knife, Louis wrapped an arm around Willy, pulling him in to place a quick kiss on the top of his head. They weren’t losing any more kids today. He would make sure of that.

“I’ll come too,” Aasim said, his gaze steady. “Just let me tell Ruby and then we can be on our way,”

“Thank you,”

“Of course,” With that Aasim made his way back toward the dorms. Louis wondered if he should go with him so he could check on how Omar and Violet were doing. Seeing Violet’s eyes though… Louis wasn’t sure if he could take that right now. Ruby had told him Vi’s eyes weren’t infected. That was all he needed to know right now.  
Aasim returned with a torch and his bow and arrows and they were off. Night had fallen and the light cast by the torch Louis carried only illuminated the path a few feet in front of them. They walked in silence, both keeping their eyes and ears out for walkers.

“We should head to the bridge by the shortest route possible,” Aasim spoke softly. “If we don’t find them by the time we reach the bridge, then we double back and cover a wider area until we do,”

Louis nodded.

“Clem and A.J. are smart. They’ve survived outside our walls far better than we ever could,”

Louis nodded again, silent.

Aasim paused before speaking again. “When you said you got separated from Clem and A.J., you didn’t mention Tenn. Is he…?”

Their eyes met, telling Aasim all he needed to know.

They turned away from each other, facing forward. Aasim roughly cleared his throat. “We’ll find them, even if it takes us all night,”

Louis glanced over, seeing the glassiness of Aasim’s eyes. He was barely holding it together either. But he was here. He wasn’t giving up. There was still hope.

As they made their way through the forest, Louis’ thoughts turned to Clementine. She’d walked into his life at one of its darkest points. Finding out the truth of what Marlon had done to the twins and realizing how his own indifference had helped lead to his best friend’s despair were truths that haunted Louis. And the way he had lashed out at Clem and A.J. for what A.J. had done, kicking them out of the school and almost getting both of them killed… but Clementine had forgiven him. After all the mistakes he’d made, she stood by him and accepted his apology.

Then their relationship had become something more, full of a feeling Louis thought he’d never get to experience once the world came to an end. He loved Clementine. He loved everything she was and everything she believed he could be. He wanted to be by her side for as long as she would let him. He wouldn’t lose her now, not after everything they had been through. He’d bring her home, no matter what.

During the walk to the bridge, both boys watched and hoped for Clementine and A.J. to appear at any moment. Instead all they came across were walkers. They avoided as many as they could, only drawing their weapons when all other alternatives had left them. They didn’t want the sounds of a scuffle to bring a herd down upon them or to do the same to Clementine and A.J. if they were nearby. As they got closer and closer to the bridge, Louis’ heart tightened. The tension settled deep within his gut, an immovable knot. By the time they reached the point where they’d been separated, Louis felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes. Clem and A.J. hadn’t made it back to the school. They weren’t on the trail either. Then where were they?  
Aasim noticed Louis’ state. He placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. “Breathe, Louis. We’ve only started our search. Now you said you got separated when you hopped over that fence. Where was the last place you saw Clem and A.J. heading?”

“They…” Louis shook his head, struggling to clear it. “They had to fall back. The road ahead was swarmed with walkers and the bridge wasn’t any better,”

“They must have climbed then,” Aasim scanned the nearby cliffs. “Come on. We’ll see if we can find any trail they might have left. They combed the rocks at the base of the cliff, searching for some sort of confirmation of Aasim’s theory.

“There!” Louis pointed to a small trail of blood leading up the rocks. The boys quickly scaled the cliff, finding more blood when they got to the top. Louis could feel his hand quivering, but he couldn’t stop it. That cut Minnie gave Clem had been so deep. What if she hadn’t been able to walk any further? Had she found someplace to hide? Was A.J. still with her or had she sent him on ahead?

“This is a good sign,” Aasim’s voice was steady. “We know they made it up here, away from all those walkers. And they kept moving. Now we just need to catch up,”  
Louis gestured to some indentations in the sandy dirt beside the blood spatter. “Clem had Minnie’s axe with her. Maybe she was using it as some sort of crutch,” The markings went a few feet out from the blood spatter, towards the woods.

“It’s our best bet. We’ll keep our search wide to make sure we don’t miss them,” Venturing into the forest together, the boys kept their senses sharp, hoping for any sort of sign. The flickering torchlight gave the lowest branches of the trees an eerie glow. They walked in silence, the only sounds being those made by the forest life. It took Louis a few minutes to realize why that was odd.

“Aasim,”

“Yeah?”

“There’s no walkers up here. The entire way down to the bridge we were practically swarmed by them. Why is this area so quiet?”

Aasim shrugged. “Could be they’ve cleared out, headed somewhere else,”

Louis shook his head. “Walkers don’t move that fast, not unless they have something guiding them. I don’t know if that guy James even made it out alive though,”

“I guess we’ll just have to count it as a blessing,”

Louis felt unsure. If Clementine and A.J. were nearby, there should be walkers too. The trail of Clementine’s blood alone should be drawing them in for the hunt. Unless there was nothing left to hunt. Images flashed through Louis’ mind: the kids they’d lost when the walkers first attacked the school, Brody’s corpse they’d had to pull up from the basement, Tenn’s boots, the only thing visible as walkers descended upon him… what if Clem and A.J. really were gone? Louis could feel his heart racing. He forced down the lump in his throat roughly, trying to breathe steadily. He didn’t know that for sure. It wasn’t true, not until he saw it.

After a few minutes more they found themselves approaching a clearing where a derelict barn stood. Even in the faint light cast by the moon, they could see walker corpses scattered around it. Louis ran forward, Aasim close behind. Maybe Clementine and A.J. had been able to hide in there. The barn doors were open though. Rushing in, his knife drawn, Louis looked round the barn. There were more dead walkers inside. All the stalls along the sides of the barn had been shut and a small fire had been made in the center of the room, trails of smoke still wisping up in the air from the smoldering remains. That was when Louis saw it. A bloody leg lying in a pile of blood beside the hay bales. That was Clementine’s boot. It was Clem’s leg.  
An unnatural wail left Louis’ mouth. His legs gave out from under him, his shoulders heaving as he vomited, collapsing against the ground.

“Holy fuck,” Aasim whispered, his voice wavering as he stepped toward the leg. Cautiously he knelt beside it, peeling back the badly mangled boot. “She was bitten,”

The worst had happened. Louis had left Clementine alone and the thing he feared most had befallen her. Louis’ head pounded painfully as he felt his shoulders tighten again, vomiting once more. She’d been in here with A.J., injured, afraid, her life fading before her very eyes. Louis’ eyes ventured toward the leg once more. There was so much blood. The barn reeked of it, the dirt soaking it up beneath them.

Aasim walked over, picking up the torch from where it had fallen out of Louis’ grasp onto the ground. His eyes scanned their surroundings. “Neither of them are here anymore. They must have left,” He looked down to Louis, grabbing his arm. “Louis, do you hear me? They left. Clementine must have survived the amputation,”

He was right. There wasn’t a body here. A.J. was nowhere to be seen. He must have gotten Clementine out. They were still trying to get back to the school. But how could they possibly have kept moving? Did Clementine stay awake as her leg was hewed off? There was no way A.J. could have carried her. Looking back toward the hay bales, Louis noticed something. Forcing himself to his feet, he hurried over to where the leg lay in the pool of blood. There was another trail here. Something had been pushed through the blood, leaving faint streaks along the ground. A.J. must have found something he could push Clementine along in. They could still find them. Grabbing the torch from Aasim, Louis hurried out of the building and back into the night.

“Louis, what-”

“I found a trail! They made it out of here!” Louis stopped short as the trail did, barely outside of the barn. There was no more blood. Where had they gone? They had to find them; Clementine didn’t have much time. If that amputation had worked, if it had stopped the bite from taking over, she still needed medical aid. They needed to get her back to Ruby. Looking round the open yard, Louis’ head turned in the direction of the school. They didn’t have time to waste searching the entire perimeter. He had to hope that A.J. had headed off in the right direction. Louis ran.

He could hear the sound of Aasim’s breathing close behind him. Hopefully whatever little luck they’d been given would hold and there were no walkers nearby. Their steps were barely illuminated by the torchlight as they ran, dodging roots and debris along the way. Louis’ could feel his throat burning from his vomit. His head was still pounding, feeling thick and woozy. None of that mattered. He just had to hold out long enough to find Clementine and A.J. and bring them home safe.

That was when they spotted them. A small figure wobbled as he walked, unsteadily pushing a large wheelbarrow in front of him. A single leg dangled from the wheelbarrow.

“A.J.!” Louis’ tone was a whispered hiss as he ran forward.

The boy turned round in surprise, his eyes widening. “Louis!” His face immediately fell as he looked back towards the wheelbarrow. “Clem got bit. We need to get her back to the school,”

Louis circled the wheelbarrow, his heart breaking at the sight before him. Clementine lay crumpled within the wheelbarrow, the place where her left leg had been now nothing but a bloody stump below the knee. Her skin was a sickly grey shade, paler than Louis had ever seen her. Immediately he handed the torch off to A.J. and lifted Clementine into his arms, cradling her close.  
A small whimper came from Clementine though she didn’t stir.

“Clem, can you hear me? It’s Louis. I’ve got you. A.J.’s here too and Aasim. We’re safe. And we’re going to get you home safe too,” Louis’ voice shook as he spoke despite his best efforts. “Just hold on, OK? Stay with us. We’re going home,” He turned to look back at Aasim. “We have to keep running. We can’t slow down,”

Aasim nodded, looking down at A.J. “You’re going to have to get onto my back. Then I’ll hand you the torch. Louis can’t hold it while he’s carrying Clementine and I need both my hands for my bow and arrows. Can you hold it steady while we run?”

A.J. nodded, determination in his eyes. “You can count on me,”

After a few moments to get themselves sorted out they were off once more, running through the forest in the dead of night. Clementine moaned faintly in Louis’ arms. He prayed for her sake she stayed asleep. He couldn’t imagine how much pain she must be in. Holding her close to his chest, he kept his steps as steady as possible, his breathing heavy. Aasim and A.J. were directly in front of him, lighting the way. They were still a few kilometers from the school. Clementine just needed to hold out till then. Then everything would be OK. She had to be OK.

Louis could feel a wetness spreading against him. Clementine’s leg was still bleeding. The acrid tang of burnt flesh told him what the fire in the barn had been for. A.J. must have attempted to cauterize Clementine’s leg. It hadn’t completely closed the wound though. Would the smell draw more walkers to them? Then they’d kill them all. He’d rip them apart with his bare hands if he needed to.

Their luck didn’t hold out for very long. Three walkers suddenly emerged from the forest and the group was forced to stop dead in their tracks. Aasim was their only defense. Silently, he drew his bow and let an arrow fly. His shot was true. That was one. Repositioning himself as quietly as possible, he took out the other. The third seemed to catch on to his location, approaching them quickly. Dropping his bow, Aasim drew a knife and brained the walker after a quick struggle. A.J. jumped down, helping Aasim collect his arrows, then returned to his back and they were off once more. The journey continued like this: running whenever possible, avoiding and circling as many walkers as they could and relying on Aasim’s bow as a last resort.  
Every minute was agonizing to Louis. He could feel Clementine stirring in his arms and worried she’d wake before they reached Ericson gates. He couldn’t run with her writhing in agony. She needed to stay asleep. Frantically, he hummed a few notes under his breath, hoping the tune would calm her. He chose the first song that came to mind: the song he had written for her. Clementine’s eyes remained shut. That was all Louis could ask for.

When they finally reached the school, they could see Ruby and Willy waiting worriedly by the gate. Willy opened the gate as soon as he saw them. They ran through quickly, all breathing heavily.  
Ruby’s eyes were large as she saw Clementine. “What in God’s name happened out there?”

“She was bit,” Aasim answered quickly. “A.J. performed the amputation,”

“You can save her, right?” A.J. asked, his voice quivering. “You saved us before after the car crash,”

Ruby’s eyes softened. “I’ll try my very best,” She looked up to Louis. “Bring her inside. We’ll put her in her room. Aasim, I’ll need your help gathering the necessary medical supplies.

Aasim nodded, hurrying off with Ruby without another word.

Louis could feel his adrenaline flagging. All that had been keeping him going was the thought of getting Clementine behind Ericson’s walls. Being here now and realizing how much was yet to be done… Louis shook his head. _C’mon, you can do this. One foot in front of the other. Keep going._ He could still run. He’d run as far as Clem needed to keep her safe.

By the time he reached the room, the door was already open. Omar was waiting inside, lighting candles upon the dresser. For a moment Louis thought to Omar’s own injury, wondering how he was holding up. Should he be walking on that leg? Setting those thoughts aside for now, Louis laid Clementine down gently upon her bed. Heavy breathing beside him caused Louis to look down at A.J. He must have had to sprint to keep up.

There was a sound of tape ripping. Omar had taken one of Clementine’s wrist and was taping it to the bed post.

“What are you doing?” Louis asked, his voice wavering.

“It’s just a precaution. Same thing we did after the car crash. We-” Omar’s words were cut short as the duct tape clattered to the ground. He looked to Louis in surprise, noticing how heavily he was breathing.

“Don’t you fucking dare. Clem’s going to be fine. She just needs Ruby’s help,”

“Louis, I-”

“No!” Louis cried, kicking the duct tape across the room. “She’s not going to turn! She hasn’t yet! I got her back! She’s home!”

Omar stayed silent, looking sadly at Louis. A.J. stood by Clementine’s bedside, holding onto her hand.

Louis kept shaking his head, his eyes trained on the floor. “She’s home. I got her back. She won’t… I brought her home,”

“Alright, y’all clear out! I need the room,” Ruby marched in, her arms full of medical supplies. “Omar, take Louis and A.J. out of here. Then go find Willy and holler at him that he don’t need to be outside on watch anymore. He’ll be more useful up here. We need all hands on deck. Only Aasim and I are allowed in this room,”

Omar nodded, gently placing a hand on A.J.’s shoulder. “We’ll be back. But right now the best thing we can do for Clementine is let Ruby help her,”

A.J. looked over to Ruby in uncertainty. Something he saw within her eyes must have been enough to convince him. Walking over to Louis, the child took his hand. “Clem told me once that she has magic. At least she said she might. I bet if she does, she’ll use it now to stay safe,”

Louis’ grip on A.J.’s hand tightened. Clementine was strong, stronger than he could ever hope to be. If anyone could survive this, it was her. As Omar gently guided the pair out of the room, Louis looked back one last time to get a glimpse of Clementine’s face. He didn’t want this to be the last time he saw her, deathly pale, brow furrowed in pain. The door closed behind them. Louis felt his heart break.

“You two can rest in my room,” Omar offered, motioning down the hallway.

Louis noticed he was walking with a limp. Would that be permanent? They’d all already lost so much. Couldn’t one goddamn thing go right? They passed Violet’s room and Louis glanced at the door for a second before looking away. He hoped she was asleep. The burns on her face had been so severe and that milky eye… would she ever see again?

Omar’s door creaked as it opened. Omar escorted them in before moving back toward the door himself. “Sleep if you like. I’ll be back as soon as I find Willy,” He looked like he might want to say something more, but he didn’t speak another word. The room was silent once he had left.

Slowly, Louis made his way over to the right bunk, his feet feeling like lead. He sat down upon it heavily, the springs in the mattress squeaking before adjusting to the weight. A.J. had hopped onto the opposite bed, kicking his legs with nervous energy. Louis wished he had something comforting to tell him, but he had nothing. All he could think about now was the pounding in his head and the sour taste of vomit in his mouth. How long had it been since he’d thrown up? It felt like days ago. Louis let his head fall upon the pillow, closing his eyes wearily This whole time he’d felt like he was on the verge of tears, but now he felt nothing, only emptiness and bone deep exhaustion.

“Louis?” A.J.’s voice was small.

“Yeah?”

“If you’re gonna sleep, can I sit by you? It’ll help me guard you better,”

 _Even now, that’s what he’s thinking about? What a funny kid._ Louis patted the spot in front of him, his eyes still closed. “Sure. Hop up, little man,” He heard A.J. hop down from the bed and then hop onto his with a little grunt, leaning back against him. The room was quiet save for their breathing. Louis could feel himself drifting off, his mind a bleary haze.

“We ran out of bullets,”

“What?”

“In the barn. We ran out of bullets so I…” A.J. paused. “I-” He was cut short when he felt Louis’ hand on his.

“Try to sleep, OK, kiddo? We need to be ready for when Clem wakes up,”

That seemed to calm him. Slowly, A.J. lay down as well. Louis scooted back to give him more space though he could still feel A.J.’s afro lightly tickling his nose. Though Louis’ mind was still racing, his body was shutting down. He found himself slipping into a deep, fretful sleep, one from which he couldn’t escape.

He woke with a start, the whisper of a nightmare still drifting through his mind. His eyes felt swollen. That was when the first coherent thought hit Louis’ mind. _Clem got bit._ It still didn’t feel real. None of that hellish night before did. His first human kill, Violet crawling onto the beach with those burns on her face, Minnie’s screams as she was eaten alive by the herd she had drawn in… there were enough nightmares in that one night to haunt Louis for the rest of his life.

Careful not to wake A.J., Louis got up from the bed. From the light drifting through Omar’s window, it looked like he had at least gotten a few hours sleep. Before he could think further, the door opened and Omar walked in, holding two bowls within his hands.

“Good, you’re up. Then you can eat this while it’s hot,”

“I don’t-”

“You’re not leaving this room until you do,”

Louis met Omar’s level gaze. He was fairly sure he could take his friend in a fight, but they both knew he wouldn’t. Silently, Louis took the bowl and raised it to his lips. Omar had made some sort of light broth. It was tasty. Some part of Louis hated that he could appreciate it. There were more important things right now. He needed to see Clementine, make sure she had made it through the night. Then he would visit Violet. Hopefully she was willing to take visitors. He knew how much she shut down when she was in pain.

“Clementine’s alive,”

Louis’ eyes shot up at Omar’s words.

Omar nodded. “You heard me right. You can ask Ruby about it later. She’s sleeping now,”

Louis briefly wondered if Omar had been able to get any sleep at all. He’d have to check in on that later. He moved to stride forward, but once more Omar blocked his path.

“One more thing. Give me your coat. It needs to be washed,”

Louis looked down at the side of his coat. It was caked in blood, stiff and dry. _Clementine’s blood._ Louis felt sick at the thought. Not wanting to waste another second, he shrugged off his coat and let it fall to the floor. Then he strode out of Omar’s room and down to Clementine’s. He opened her door softly, afraid he might disturb her.  
She was still so pale. Clementine lay upon the bed, her wrist taped to the bedpost. She looked so tiny. She’d always been small, but she’d always had the presence to fill a room, at least in Louis’ eyes. Now, looking at her lying broken and frail, she looked smaller than ever. Slowly Louis walked to her bedside, taking the chair that had been pulled up beside it. Ruby must have stayed awake for as long as she could after the surgery, watching for complications. In all truth, it was a miracle Clementine had made it this long. Surviving a rushed amputation by a 6 six year old in a barn… how was she still breathing?

 _But she is. She’s still here,_ Louis reached out to brush a stray hair back from Clementine’s face. She moaned in her sleep, stirring for a moment before falling still. That brought the tears back to Louis’ eyes. His own part done, he could finally weep. Louis felt his shoulders shaking as he hunched over, his sobs loud and rough. “I’m sorry, Clem,” he whispered, choking on his own tears. “I never should have jumped that fence. I’m such a fucking idiot,” Unable to hold her closest hand, he reached for the further one, striving to stroke some circulation back into her pale flesh. “I’m never leaving you again. I swear. Not for the rest of our lives,” He pressed her hand to his lips, remembering the last kiss they shared on the beach. He wished he kissed her again when they reunited in the woods. He wanted to kiss her so many more times.

The door opened and Willy stepped in, holding a pitcher of water. He looked at Louis with uncertainty and sadness. “Omar told me to bring by this water in case you needed any. Or for Clem when she wakes up,”

“Thanks,” Louis whispered. He watched Willy in silence as he walked over to the dresser and placed the pitcher down. “Hey, do you know… is Violet up yet?”

Willy shook his head. “No, not yet. She was screaming a lot last night when Ruby cleaned her eyes. I think it wore her out,” His eyes widened as he realized he might have shared too much. “I mean-”

“It’s OK. Could you tell me when she wakes?”

Willy nodded.

“Thanks, buddy. For everything,”

Willy gave a small smile before hurrying out of the room.

Unsure what to do with himself but wait, Louis settled in. He’d sit here as long as he needed to. He’d be here when Clementine woke up.

The day wore on slowly. Morning turned to afternoon. The water in the pitcher stood untouched until Omar came by and forced Louis to drink some. He also told Louis that Violet was awake. Leaving Clementine temporarily in Omar’s care, Louis hurried to his friend’s side. They didn’t say much. Violet was unwilling to talk. Louis didn’t press her. However, when he turned to leave, she grabbed the corner of his shirt roughly, clinging onto him. She needed him to stay, even if she couldn’t stay it. So Louis did. He sat beside her, his hand gently holding hers until the pain and weariness caused Violet to fall asleep once more. Louis hoped her dreams were peaceful.

Returning to Clementine, Louis found A.J. awake and beside her, determined to keep watch. Louis went to find another chair. They would keep watch together. On his way back, he had another idea. With one final trip, he came back to the room, rolling in the gramophone from the music room.

A.J.’s eyes were large. “Are we gonna have a hootenanny right now?”

“Not quite, little man. We’re going to play some more calming music for now. I figure Clem might enjoy it even if she’s asleep,”

“People can hear stuff if they’re asleep?” A.J. asked in confusion.

“I like to think so,” Louis pulled out one of his favorite records, a piano piece called _Liebestraum_. He’d found a German-English dictionary a few years back amongst the library books since he was curious to know what the name meant. It translated to _Love Dream_. Louis had always found it to be a beautiful title. He hoped now that it would serve its purpose, reaching Clementine’s dreams and showing her all the things he couldn’t tell her now. It would be his voice until she was awake.

Afternoon turned into evening. Ruby had dropped by a few times, checking on Clementine before bustling off to care for Violet or Omar. Each time she was done, she told them the same thing: Clementine was stable, but it would likely be a while still before she woke. Louis and A.J. simply nodded and continued their vigil. They’d wait as long as need be. Food was delivered to them and absent-mindedly consumed. Aasim dropped off Louis’ coat which Omar had cleaned and dried. Louis shrugged it back on. It was good to have something familiar back. He still missed Chairles. Never mind that, he could make another. He was pretty sure he still knew where the table leg he got the first Chairles from was. Night came round, and after a time, Louis realized it would be best if he could convince A.J. to go to bed. It’s what Clementine would want.

A.J. was incredulous. “What if I’m asleep and Clem wakes up? She needs me! I’m not leaving!”

Louis motioned toward the bed on the opposite side of the room. “You’ll sleep in here tonight. You’ll be ten feet away from Clem. If she so much as sneezes, you’ll know. Trust me,”

A.J. looked over at his bed uncertainly then back at Louis. “Are you gonna be over there too?”

Louis was surprised at the request, though a part of him felt touched. “Sure, little dude. If that’s what you want,” He followed A.J. over to the bed, sitting on the corner of it as A.J. crawled on top. 

The kid looked so tiny when he was curled up on top of his covers, his head resting upon the pillow. He was looking up at Louis with questioning eyes, still clearly wondering if he’d made the right choice. “Do you think Clementine is having good dreams?”

Louis nodded. “I do, buddy. She’s got us right here and some lovely ambient music playing in the background. I bet she’s just waiting till she’s all rested up so she can help out as much as possible when she wakes up,” He could tell A.J.’s mind was still too worried to rest. “Hey, how about I tell you a story?”

“What about?”

“Ever hear of Jack and the beanstalk?”

“What’s a beanstalk?”

“I’ll explain in the story,” Louis cleared his throat. “Once upon a time, there was a boy named Jack who had a cow who he loved very much…”

The story went on for some time. Louis really got into the story, making all the voices, mimicking some of the events and delivering every line with great aplomb. He wasn’t sure where the energy was coming from. Perhaps the simple act of escaping somewhere within his mind was cathartic in itself. A.J. enjoyed the story, listening animatedly as Jack climbed the beanstalk and met the giants. Eventually his eyes grew heavy though and yawns began to overtake him. He fell asleep in the midst of the chase down the beanstalk. Louis paused with a smile, glad to see the story had worked. It seemed to have calmed his mind as well. After looking over one more time to see that Clementine was still breathing, he let his head rest against the bedpost and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Louis woke with the dawn, his heart bursting with hope that Clementine might already be awake. It took only a moment to see that she wasn’t. No matter, he’d wait once more. After choosing a record to play, Louis settled on one of the chairs beside her bed, ready to wait the whole day out if need be. It didn’t take long for A.J. to wake as well, scrambling into the chair beside him.

The day began to take on a similar rhythm to the last. Ruby dropped by to check on Clementine, and Willy brought food and water again. Aasim and Omar came by as well to see how things were going. Realizing how absent he’d been these last two days, Louis offered that he could help if something needed doing, but they immediately dismissed the offer. They’d worry about that once Clementine was awake. When, not if. She was going to wake up.

Violet dropped by as well. Louis was glad to see her up and moving about. She couldn’t make out much, but she stood beside Clementine’s bedside, asking questions and nodding along to the answers before wishing them a good night and slipping away. Louis was glad to hear her concern. The fight she and Clementine had within that cell had sounded brutal. They’d both suffered enough. He hoped Violet’s visit meant any remaining ill will had been set aside. They all needed each other, now more than ever.

Another night had come, and Clementine still hadn’t woken. Louis settled down with A.J. on the opposite bunk, hoping to distract the kid with more bedtime stories. After A.J. heard the last part of Jack and the beanstalk he’d missed, Louis started in on the Three Billy Goats Gruff. A.J. seemed to enjoy all the voices Louis made for the story, especially the mean old troll’s. He fell asleep gradually, just as the story was wrapping up. This time, once Louis knew he was asleep, he slipped away from A.J.’s side. Going back to Clementine, he sat down beside her once more, taking her hand in his. Hoping that some human contact might bring her back. _Please, Clementine… please. I need you. We all do._ Louis fell asleep with his head on the dresser, still holding her hand.

He was awoken by the sound of birds twittering outside the window. Groggily, Louis stirred, immediately feeling the crick in his neck from sleeping at such an odd angle. Something was brushing against his hand too. What was he touching?...

 _Clementine!_ Louis’ eyes flew open, searching her face. She was moving! Her fingers wriggled in his hand and he could see her eyelashes fluttering. Was she going to open her eyes? Louis watched Clementine’s face, breathless, waiting.

She opened them slowly, as though no longer used to sunlight. Clementine looked up in confusion, blinking. “Louis?” Her voice came out hoarsely.

“Clem! Oh, thank God!” Louis surged forward, capturing her lips in a quick kiss, clinging to her shoulders as his own began to shake with emotion. “You’re back. I knew you’d come back,”

Clementine’s hand came up slowly, circling Louis’ back. “I’m not dead?”

“No! You’re alive!” Louis realized her wrist was still duct taped to the bed post and quickly moved to free it. “You’re here and so is A.J. and-”

“A.J.!” Clementine exclaimed, bolting upright in bed. Her eyes shot over to the opposite side of the room, seeing him still sleeping peacefully. Her shoulders immediately relaxed. “We made it?”

Louis nodded. “You both did. A.J. saved your life. He…” He paused, realizing Clementine’s legs were still covered by the blankets. Would telling Clementine her leg was gone somehow trigger the pain her surprise seemed to be holding at bay?

“He cut it off, didn’t he? My leg,” Clementine looked at Louis, her gaze steady.

Louis weakly nodded.

“I remember the first hit, when the ax fell. Not much after that. I must have blacked out,”

“He rolled you out of there in a wheelbarrow, all by himself! That kid is astounding,”

“All the way back? We were still so far away!”

“Well, Aasim and I found the two of you part of the way back. Then I carried you. It was faster that way,”

“You carried me?” Clementine’s voice was soft.

Louis shyly smiled, feeling his face heat up. That was the first time he’d held Clementine. Not that the circumstances were in any way what he had wanted, but… “I did,”

“My hero,” Clementine murmured. Her hand reached out the smallest distance, intertwining her fingers with his.

Louis wasn’t sure if another kiss was appropriate right now, but damnit, he was going to go for it. Leaning forward, his lips met Clementine’s, his heart doing a flip when the tiniest moan left her. As he pulled back, Louis’ face fell though. “Back at the bridge when I jumped the fence, I never should have done that. It was stupid, and-”

“Louis, no,” Clementine’s other hand came to rest atop his. “You got help. You came back. You _saved_ us. I owe you my life,” She glanced over at A.J. with a warm smile. “You and that little goofball over there,”

Louis’ smile was warm, driving back the tears that were still stinging his eyes. He should tell the others, let them know the good news. But he wanted just one moment more with Clementine, one second where it was just the two of them.

“Clem?” Never mind that. A.J. was awake. “Clem!” A.J. immediately launched himself onto Clementine’s bed, thankfully avoiding her injured leg as he wrapped himself around her in a tight hug.  
Clementine hugged him back as tightly as she could, her eyes misting up. “Hi there, goofball,”

Louis smiled at the two of them chatting animatedly before his eyes widened in shock as Clementine pulled on his arm, drawing him out of the chair so he’d sit beside them on the bed. He quickly got pulled into the discussion, joking and laughing as his mind raced to take it all in. Clementine was alive. She hadn’t died. She hadn’t turned. She was here and the Delta was gone. They were safe and she was home. Louis watched Clementine, smiling as that same stray curl came to rest against her cheek. Clementine was here to stay. Against all odds, she’d made it.

She truly was his miracle.


End file.
